69Y/O Man Jailed 5 Years for Molesting Young Granddaughter After Becoming Her Sole Caretaker

Traditionally, the role of our grandparents in family life is ever-changing. Partaking upon many roles, they are our mentor, companion, and provider at all once.

Acting as role models, they are filled with knowledge, encouragement, and love. Needless to say, they play a vital role.

This grandfather though, appeared to have abused his power as a guardian and sole caregiver for his grandchildren.

Man Jailed 5 Years for Repeatedly Molesting 9Y/O Granddaughter

On Tuesday (22 Jun), a 69-year-old Singaporean man was jailed for five years. This includes six months’ jail in place of 12 strokes of the cane, since offenders aged 50 or above cannot be caned under the law.

His name is not revealed to protect the identity of the victim, who was aged nine to 11 when she was sexually violated. She is currently 18-years-old.

So, how did his inappropriate actions come to light?

When the family’s neighbour was investigated by authorities for also sexually assaulting the same girl.

Offences Committed Between 2012 & 2013

When the victim was in Primary 4 in 2012, she whined about bodily aches from participating in soccer practice.

The man then massaged her with baby oil to alleviate the aches but “began experiencing sexual urges”, Deputy Public Prosecutors (DPPs) Angela Ang and Asoka Markandu told the court.

As if a one-off incident wasn’t bad enough, he then proceeded to molest her a couple more times.

He would continue to give her those “massages” at night when everyone else was asleep.

Once in 2013, when the girl was around ten to 11 years old, the grandfather instructed her into the bedroom. Lying on the bed, he climbed on top of her and removed her clothes.

Yup, wrong on so many levels. Unacceptable.

The man was only willing to stop his acts after the girl’s mother, his daughter, was released from prison for drug offences in 2014.

As for the victim, she chose to initially keep mum about it as she did not want to cause the family to suffer hardship.

At the time, the grandfather had been tasked as the guardian and sole breadwinner of his daughter’s seven children, including the girl he molested. The children’s parents had been incarcerated for drug-related offences.

Remanded in IMH

The grandfather was later remanded in the Institute of Mental Health (IMH).

A forensic psychiatrist established that he did not have paedophilia disorder. However, he did display a risk of reoffending as no signs of remorse were shown.

DPP Ang urged the court to impose a jail term of five years and six months. She argued that the victim was “exceptionally vulnerable” due to her difficult family circumstance and young age.

Feature Image: varandah / Shutterstock.com